Experience the extraordinary in "waterfalls and ruins" at Hatonosu Valley, just an hour's drive from the city center.
The necessity of the extraordinary
What is everyday life?
I believe "everyday life" is a general term for the ordinary daily events and situations of our lives. It refers to the daily routines and activities of individuals and society, and its content and characteristics vary from person to person and from era to era.
So what does "extraordinary" refer to?
Since it has "extra" attached, it means the opposite of ordinary. For me, living in the heart of Tokyo, the extraordinary would be a place like the mountains, a beachside cafe, or a valley itself, and the act of going there and feeling something new.
Experiencing the extraordinary broadens one's perspective and can greatly enrich everyday life.
For someone who doesn't usually watch many movies, going to see a French film that's only showing in the depths of Ginza on a weekend, or inviting a friend to a concert of a genre they don't usually listen to, would be an extraordinary experience. There's value in the time spent savoring that lingering feeling even after returning to everyday life.
Whether watching a movie or listening to music, when you venture slightly outside your comfort zone, you can find a refined sense of the extraordinary in the act of seeking an indescribable stimulation.
So, how about visiting a waterfall and exploring the ruins of a hot spring inn that was in business until around 2000 as your extraordinary experience?
"Soryu-no-Taki" (Twin Dragon Falls) is about an hour from the city center via the Chuo Expressway.
From Takaido, there's no entrance to the westbound Chuo Expressway, so you'll need to head towards Shinjuku on Koshu Kaido to Eifuku, then make a U-turn to get onto the westbound Chuo Expressway. From Hachioji, take the Ken-O Expressway, exit at Hinode IC, and then drive for about 40 minutes on local roads to reach Hatonosu Valley. Surprisingly, it's more convenient to access by train from the city center, as it's just a 5-minute walk from Hatonosu Station on the JR Ome Line.
Park your car in the Hatonosu parking lot, cross the road, and descend a somewhat steep staircase next to the sign. You'll arrive at Soryu-no-Taki, meaning "Twin Dragon Falls." It's a beautiful waterfall where two streams fall side by side. As the name suggests, the two waterfalls are likened to dragons, with the upper fall called "Toryu-no-Taki" (East Dragon Fall) and the lower fall called "Seiryu-no-Taki" (West Dragon Fall). Toryu-no-Taki has a drop of approximately 25 meters, and Seiryu-no-Taki has a drop of approximately 20 meters. Both unleash powerful sprays, offering a magnificent view.
Additionally, hiking trails are maintained around Soryu-no-Taki, allowing you to enjoy the nature of Okutama and trek to the falls while forest bathing. Especially during the autumn foliage season, the waterfalls and autumn leaves create a beautiful contrast, attracting many visitors.
The hot spring inn "Hatowaso" and restaurant "Isshintei," which operated until 2000.
If you go to see Soryu-no-Taki, you can unintentionally visit a ruin.
While you might imagine ruins as places frequented by self-proclaimed ruin enthusiasts, this one appears naturally, almost anticlimactically. This hot spring inn, "Hatowaso," was the closest ruin I had ever approached in my life.
Ropes declaring "No Entry" are strung all over, preventing access inside. However, I was very curious and did some research. It seems to have been a hot spring inn built in the 1970s, and its phone number was listed in phone books until around 2000, so it has been in a state of ruin for about 20 years.
A little further from here, there's a similar disused building that was once a restaurant. It seems to have continued operating under the name Isshintei in a different location.
It’s an indescribable experience, like witnessing a place that was once bustling with life from the Showa to Heisei eras, now frozen in time and still paused in this Reiwa era, as if you are the only one moving while everything else stands still. Thanks to the sound of the nearby waterfall, I feel like I can maintain my composure in such a place.
The surrounding landscape where time flows very slowly
If you walk around here a bit, you'll come across a residential area. People live here, and for them, this place is their irreplaceable "everyday life," surrounded by the beautiful nature of Okutama.
After this experience, I drove back to the city center.
It was an extraordinary day trip experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.
